An integrated tomato processing unit at Doodedkonda village, Kothirala Gram Panchayat of Kurnool district, is set to commence operations within three to four months. Civil works for the project, the first of its kind in Andhra Pradesh, have been completed.

The facility will process one tonne of tomatoes per hour, producing ketchup, paste, and pickles. To ensure year-round operations, the unit will also process mangoes and guavas in the off-season. The initiative, supported by the state’s food processing industries and commerce department, aims to address challenges faced by tomato farmers, who frequently sell produce at low prices or discard it during demand slumps. Similar processing units are already functional in Tirupati and Vizag.

The Kurnool unit is part of wider efforts to attract Rs 2,937.2 crore in investments for Andhra Pradesh’s food processing sector. Alongside, projects include a Rs 224 crore oil palm facility in East Godavari, a Rs 350 crore chicken processing unit in Chittoor, and Reliance Consumer Products’ Rs 1,622 crore beverage plant. In East Godavari, 3F Oil Palm is setting up a Rs 224 crore plant, with civil works done and machinery trials in progress. In Chittoor, ABIS Proteins is establishing a Rs 350 crore chicken processing unit, where land has been allotted and construction is underway. Together, the projects will generate 1,540 work opportunities.